Barrymore in drink and drugs arrest

Entertainer Michael Barrymore has been charged with possession of cocaine and being drunk and disorderly following an early morning car collision, police said.

PUBLISHED: 03:43, Sun, Nov 27, 2011

Michael Barrymore has been charged with cocaine possession and being drunk and disorderly, police sa [PA]

Entertainer Michael Barrymore has been charged with possession of cocaine and being drunk and disorderly following an early morning car collision, police said.

The 59 year old was held at 4.30am on Tuesday after a Citroen DS3 hit a kerb in Acton, west London.

Barrymore, who was arrested with another man, will appear at Ealing Magistrates Court on December 7.

Barrymore, born Michael Parker, was held after officers on routine patrol discovered the scene at the junction of The Vale and Dordrecht Road.

It was understood police were unclear who had been behind the wheel at the time of the incident. Both men have been bailed pending further inquiries to a date in mid-December.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Michael Parker, 59, of London W3 appears on bail at Ealing Magistrates Court on Wednesday December 7 charged with possession of a Class A drug, namely cocaine, and being drunk and disorderly."

Barrymore, once one of Britain's highest-paid TV stars, has had a controversial career. In the early 1980s, shows such as Strike It Lucky and My Kind Of People attracted up to 13 million viewers and made him one of the best-known faces on TV, with a pay packet to match. But in 1995 viewers began to see cracks in his smiling facade and realised everything was not "awight" - his catchphrase - when the married presenter announced he was gay.

He split from Cheryl, his manager and wife of 19 years, and his career floundered.

Less than a decade later, in 2004, the former Butlins Red Coat filed for bankruptcy. More recently, he appeared on the small screen as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother.

Public reaction to his appearance in 2006 was mixed but he was popular enough with viewers to take second place behind "spoof" celebrity Chantelle Houghton.